Sen. Carl Levin speaks during a hearing on March 13, 2014 in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. / Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

Detroit Free Press Washington Staff

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Carl Levin on Tuesday praised a nonprofit award of a $1 million prize to an advocacy organization that will use it to campaign for corporate transparency around the world.

Levin, D-Mich., has introduced legislation which would require states to collect information on the true owners of corporations, believing it is a way to crack down on misconduct by money launderers, terrorists and international criminals.

On Tuesday, it was announced that the advocacy organization Global Witness would receive the $1 million TED Prize to encourage governments to increase corporate transparency. TED, a nonprofit organization that focuses on discussions of innovative ideas, has made the award since 2005 in support of ideas that could spark global change.

“Money launderers, arms dealers, drug lords, terrorists and tax evaders are too often able to conceal their misconduct behind a wall of corporate secrecy,” said Levin, who has introduced similar measures for most of a decade. “Global Witness’ plan to use its $1 million TED Prize to fight for corporate transparency will add momentum to the calls by police agencies, anti-corruption groups, human rights organizers, business groups and labor organizations to pass our bill.”